Pipe and service valves the same for HFO1234yf

A VASA member, keen to prepare himself for the first wave of the new replacement refrigerant for R134a – HFO1234yf – asked VASA experts if all of the pipes and fittings would be the same when retrofitting to the new refrigerant. The response was that the pipe sizes will be the same and the service valves will be the same. There is a hint that SAE is proposing a new service port and coupling system, but more on that when it comes to hand.

In the meantime, the company which had a big hand in producing 1234yf, Honeywell, has produced literature which says quite clearly that the refrigerant will be a ‘near’ drop-in replacement for R134a.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the carbon tax debate when 1234yf hits these shores in quantity, because its global warming potential is 99.7 per cent lower than R134a, which puts it virtually under the carbon tax radar.